I'm also a professional in the field of drug addiction. I've been tempted to write a diary about it for a long time, but haven't. Today, I went to a conference about Promoting Recovery with Recovery Support Services. Recovery Support Services?? Code for something? Yup.

I had my first introduction to the Hilltop Brigade, a grassroots organization founded in Connecticut by Stephanie and Penelope, a couple of constituents of Rosa DeLauro (D-CT03). The organization was actually developed, with Congresswoman DeLauro's blessing, to help put volunteers in the streets and knocking on doors. But more than that, it was so 'safe' districts, such as DeLauro's, could essentially 'lend' volunteers to districts that had closer races.

For the past decade, the Potsdam, NY Food Co-op has held a fund-raiser during the Holiday Season. Proceeds go to the Neighborhood Center. Out of a spirit of giving and friendly community culinary competitiveness , the fund-raiser has been called the "Co-op Holiday Bake-off." Last year the Co-op with the help of 27 bakers raised $1,037 for the Neighborhood Center's Food Pantry.

This week, attorneys for Pillsbury, a subsidiary of the General Mills Corporation, informed the Co-op that it "owns" the words "Bake-Off" and may take them to court for trademark infringement violations. In essence, it was a cease and desist order.

More after the fold

I've published accounts of my adventures of running for office. It's been a trip, to borrow from '60s slang, a roller coaster ride. This is an update after the election. This morning, I went to vote. This afternoon, I stood on a busy street corner, waving at voters. This evening, I went to the town hall to await results. I lost.

Back in July, I posted a diary about my initiation into a Good Grade for a Citizen (according to Howard Dean, the best grade he could give a citizen who never ran for any office was a D-minus). I thought I would give an update, since elections are right around the corner.

You don't have to be a Barack Obama or John Tester to run for office. I don't know if the '50 State Strategy' or the '435 Seat Strategy' includes local politics. If not, they should.

I'm running for local office. I became interested in politics at the age of 53 when my brother (a non-politician) decided to run for office in another venue. I couldn't vote for him; I didn't live in his district. So, I went down there on election day to help GOTV. After he won his election, he encouraged me to get politically involved on the local level.

So I did.

I guess all the minor stuff, the Preznit in Rome with the Pope, 13 dead in Iraq, killer storms in Australia, all take a back seat to The Big Story of the Day. What a horrorshow.

This diary will be the first in a series of reports on the modern prison system, based on my 17 year experience within a state prison system.

This is not really a very sexy issue. It is not of current interest in the way that impeachment, the firing of attorneys, or who the front runners are – but rather of ongoing interest, more of a background on Modern Corrections. In the ‘civilized’ US, the Greatest Superpower on Earth, our incarceration rate is about 500 per 100,000, or 0.5% of the population, which is actually a slowing of the trend over the past 5 or 6 years. Still, that is a lot of locked up people.

This series of diaries is not an apology for the prison system, but written from the point of view of prison staff, and how they deal with the inmates – and what it might be like to be an inmate.

So, how does it work? Take the jump.

What do Nancy Boyda’s Dad, Zach Space’s wife, and Jerry McNerney’s brother (that would be me) all have in common? We all sat together watching our family inaugurated into the 110th Congress. I was between the other two, and each told a hauntingly familiar story of winning in ‘safe’ red districts despite no prior political experience against incumbents who were so awful that enough of their Republican constituents wanted them out badly enough to make the districts unsafe for them.

It was a ‘ticketed event’ at the Capitol, meaning only those holding tickets were admitted to the gallery. But even with the popularity of the event, there was an empty space or two.

I got there at 11:30am for a Noon Gavel. What happened next? More below the fold.

I recently received and email from the DCCC but signed by Nancy Pelosi. I went to her website and used the 'contact' button to send her a response. I wrote it all out and sent it, only to be notified that if I wasn't a constituent, that it wouldn't be processed, and to visit her  website as Speaker of the House. There wasn't an email button on that site, so I'm posting it here:

Dear Speaker Pelosi: I recently received an email from you... well, it was from DCCC but it claimed to be from you... in which you said, in part:

That's the kind of tangible progress that you have brought within reach by devoting yourself so enthusiastically to supporting the work of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. I've received hundreds of emails in the last few days congratulating me and the DCCC -- thank you, and congratulations to you as well. You were a part of history, and we would not have a new direction in America without you. Thank you for all you have done and for all that I know you will do as we work side-by-side to lead America forward. With deep appreciation, Nancy Pelosi

But aren't all diaries personal? Don't we all have a personal stake in this election? And every election?

But my stake might be a little more personal that most. You see, my brother is running for US Congress, trying as a political neophyte to oust a long time Republican, and one of the most odius and corrupt in Congress at that.

The irony of Bushism. W's stated goal, the thing that God tells him to do when He speaks to W, is to bring western style Democracy to the Middle East... nay, to the World.

He's running for Congress!

Today, I was introduced to a new employee, a youngish Black woman, perhaps 25 years old, with a Scottish name. She had no noticeable accent. I asked her if she had Scottish or Irish heritage, and she reported that she thought she might be part Scottish, she was 1st generation born in the US of Jamaican parents, and "... you know how those British were!"

I showed her my office (I work for the State of Connecticut) and she noticed my paper on the walls, then the 'McNerney for Congress' poster. "Is that YOU?!" she asked.

(Cross posted on My Left Nutmeg)

You have served our country with dignity and aplomb for 30 years. I am struck by some of the progressive things you've done and stood for in that time.

But something happened. I don't know exactly how, I don't know exactly when, but something. I've often though that it was the job of an elected official to vote the will of the constituents - but I understand that 99% of the time, 99% of the constituents don't know and don't care about the details of daily governing. They trust that their elected official will vote his best guess as to what his constituents want, vote his 'conscience' if you will.